


Sacred Bonds

by noxsoulmate



Series: noxsoulmate's FicFacer$ [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Bullies, M/M, Prompt Fic, Rituals, Rivalry, Soul Bond, Soul-Searching, Soulmates, Visions in dreams, Witch Castiel (Supernatural), Witch's Familiar Dean Winchester, Witchcraft, ficfacer$
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:07:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26758498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxsoulmate/pseuds/noxsoulmate
Summary: Every witch has a familiar – their closest companion, their soulmate. In some cases their lover. A witch without a familiar is incomplete and won’t ever reach their true potential. No wonder a big part of a young witch's college education is dedicated to finding that one person who completes them. With so much energy put in, matches are usually made within the first six months.But Castiel has always been an exception. To everything.Clumsy and prone to accidental fires, not only has Cas hardly any control over his powers after two years at college, he hasn’t foundthe oneto ground him. With year three about to start, Cas isn’t looking forward to repeating the embarrassment that comes with ‘speed dating’ potential familiars.Especially not when he comes back from his soul-searching retreat to the latest rumors: normally, those of the most potent blood – the children of soulmate-bonds – stay amongst themselves, too powerful to connect with a regular witch or familiar. But apparently, the eldest son of the long line of Winchester soulmates – Dean Winchester himself – was joining them this year...
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: noxsoulmate's FicFacer$ [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949209
Comments: 12
Kudos: 82
Collections: FicFacer$ 2020





	Sacred Bonds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Clarinda_Sydney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarinda_Sydney/gifts).



> Welcome to my fourth fic for the amazing FicFacer$ Auction (read more about it [here](https://www.juliahouston.com/fic-facers/) or in my series description). This slot was won by [Clarinda_Sydney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarinda_Sydney), who gave me short list of likes and dislikes but otherwise left me all the freedom to write 😊  
>  **Original Prompt**  
>  One of Clarinda_Sydney’s likes is witch!Cas and familiar!Dean and I was certainly intrigued by that. Thankfully, it’s also a favorite of my wonderful friend [xHaruka17x](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xHaruka17x) \- which means she has thousands of plot bunnies and kindly handed me one to take care of 😂 she also helped me plot it all out and luckily, Clarinda_Sydney liked the ideas - I hope you will also love what I’ve made of it 😘
> 
> Enjoy, everyone 💕
> 
>  **SPN AU Bingo Card**  
>  _square filled:_ I1 "College AU"  
> 

“What do you mean you’re being sent away?!”

Cas stopped stuffing things into his backpack, sighing as he looked at his best friend, Charlie.

“Not ‘away’ away! Professor Death thinks it will do me some good to live in solitude for a week or two. Cleanse my aura or something.”

“But the new familiars will be here soon. And the opening ceremony is in less than two weeks. What if you miss that? How are you supposed to find your soulmate if you aren’t here? What if he bonds with someone else?”

“Charlie, you _do_ know this is not how this works, right? If by some miracle, my familiar is amongst the first arrivals of the new term, then they will be able to wait for a few more days. Besides,” he began, but stopped himself to check one last time that he had everything. Hoisting the bag on his shoulder, he turned to Charlie, resting both his hands on her shoulders. “This way, at least I won't have to be here for all the awkwardness that comes with the first meetings. With any luck, some couples will have already paired up by the time the first big round of speed dating–”

“The _opening ceremony_!”

“Whatever. If I’m lucky, they will have already all paired up and I can either pick through the leftovers or be excused from it completely. Much less torture for me this way. Cause, believe me or not – I _do not_ enjoy that spotlight. Last year’s embarrassment of being a second-year witch without a familiar? That was definitely enough to last me a lifetime – and I wasn’t even alone back then! I really don’t need the spotlight of being the only third-year witch during the ceremony.”

“Cas, it’s not…”

Cas stopped his friend with a quick peck to her cheek. Charlie meant well, he knew. But nothing she had to say would help him in this situation.

It was quite a common occurrence for familiars to wait a few years before finding their witch and there were many theories as to why that was the case. Some argued it would give them time to become wiser and actually be a good partner to their witch; others thought that due to their more complex nature they needed to be a few years older than their soulmate.

Cas had no idea what to think or how true either of these theories could be when clearly, there were also soulbonds that were born within the same month. 

And yet, it was normal for familiars to sometimes repeat multiple years, travel for years around the country (or even the globe) until they found their witch. 

For a witch, however, it was not as common to go without a familiar. Not unheard of, but more of a bother. The witch in question would have to repeat the first year and try anew.

To not find his soulmate after _two years_ , though?

No wonder Professor Death had sent him a message this morning, telling him to pack a few things and be ready by midday. Cas truly needed this ‘witchy retreat’, as he coined it in his own head.

“I’ll be fine, Charlie. Promise. And hey,” he added, forcing some enthusiasm into his voice that he didn’t truly feel. “Might be a great trip. How many other witches can say they got to walk the Sacred Woods, right?”

The good friend that Charlie was, she forced a smile to her face, faking enthusiasm Cas could tell neither of them felt.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Professor Death – whose real name was Professor Richings but since he was as pale and bonelike as Death himself, everyone simply called him that – was surely already waiting for him.

With one last look around his dorm room, Cas handed Charlie his keys so she could water his plants and use his gaming system while he was gone. She had a perfectly fine one of her own but since her familiar, Jo, was a total extrovert and had friends over all the time, Charlie sometimes needed the reprieve of Cas’ room. When it got all too much for her, she even slept there. 

Which, of course, was only possible because the second bed in his room was still not occupied by his soulmate.

Sighing, Cas tried not to let that thought darken his mood. It would do him no good to start his witchy retreat in such a manner. 

As they left the room and made their way downstairs, the cacophony of their classmates could be heard from the common area. Even though college wouldn’t start for another week and then some, the halls were already packed again, witches and their familiars alike lounging around, catching up after the summer holidays, practicing together, or simply enjoying their last days of break before the start of term.

All except Castiel.

And quite honestly, he would have loved _not_ to have to cross the common area. Because as he had expected, the rest of the third-years were front and center. Amongst them a group of people he would prefer to avoid for the rest of his life. 

Knowing better by now, though, Cas internally counted down the seconds until…

“Look who we’ve got here,” a voice drifted across the room, making Cas’ steps falter, even though he tried to ignore it.

He wanted to just move on but Virgil’s words were quicker than he could walk.

“How is it, Cassie? You ready for yet _another_ round of opening ceremony awkwardness? Ready to do it all, _again_?” 

The dirty glee in Virgil’s voice was palpable and to Cas’ chagrin, a lot of their fellow students chuckled at his words. His failure still seemed to be a topic of great humor.

“What is it now?” Virgil continued. “Your third round? Fourth? Maybe you’ve been here for ages and never actually told us.”

“Ignore him,” Charlie’s voice was suddenly next to him.

He hadn’t even noticed that he had stopped walking and only her hand on his fist made him realize he was balling it.

Turning to look at Virgil, he was met with a few laughing faces. It wasn’t as if all their classmates – or well, should he say his former classmates? Since he had to start all over again? For a second time? – well, it wasn’t as if everyone currently in the room were looking at him, staring and laughing. But the few who were… their mocking was more than enough.

Most of the others pitied him by now, Cas knew.

There was only so much a witch could learn at college without their familiar by their side. The basics, mainly, and even those didn’t always come easy for Cas. He knew he was a failure and a disgrace to witches in general.

But that didn’t mean he wanted their pity.

He was about to reply – what, he wasn’t sure of yet – when Virgil seemed to catch sight of his bag, his smirk turning wider.

“Finally giving up, are you? About time.”

“Shut up, Virgil,” Charlie jumped in, resting her hand on his back to give him silent support. “No-one needs your opinion.”

“And I see Cassie still needs another witch to fight his battles.”

“And _I see_ you’re still pissed that Hannah first thought she was Cas’ familiar!”

A general murmur of shock went around the room, Charlie’s reply certainly a low blow. It was true, though. Some of the familiars around this room had felt drawn to Cas first – which had made it all the more awkward for him when their magic had never clicked.

After a while, Charlie had even come to the conclusion that some of them were drawn rather to his looks than his magical energy. A conclusion that might have seemed funny, though was anything but. A soulmate bond wasn’t about picking a lover for life. Sure, it could be – but it didn’t necessarily have to be.

It was about a shared connection of power and magic.

Of course, those weren’t always apparent – but that still didn’t justify some familiars thinking with their genitals before their core magic. 

If those familiars hadn’t been so careless, maybe there wouldn’t be as many witches in this room who felt salty when it came to Cas. Especially those whose familiars had accidentally turned into various animals, when Cas’ magic began to wreak havoc as he tried to connect with the respective familiar.

Hannah as a toad certainly wasn’t a picture any of them would forget any time soon. Not even two years later.

The whole situation in the common room could have gotten rather ugly pretty quickly; Charlie was a dirty fighter when it came to defending Cas. But Cas had no interest in it, and instead of letting the full force of her anger explode, he pulled on Charlie’s arm.

“Come on, you know he’s not worth it.”

Stepping back, Cas was sure his foot caught on something. Or maybe there was nothing at all. Whatever it was, he could feel himself falling and a moment later, he was lying on the floor, laughter surrounding him.

“No wonder he can’t find his familiar,” one of the voices rang out. “He can’t even walk straight.” 

The laughter rose and Cas tried his hardest to stay calm. He couldn’t lose himself. He couldn’t lose control–

“Cas, watch out!”

A splash of water landed on his hand and a moment later, the stinging smell of burned wool hit his nose. Looking down, he saw a patch of burned rug right under his hand. Getting up, he ignored everyone around him – even Charlie – and simply fled the room.

He needed to get away from here. Needed to try everything in his power to cleanse himself, so his soulmate could find him. So that he could learn to control his magic. So that maybe finally, he could feel like he didn’t wreck everything he touched.

He was a terrible disaster, unable to control what few measly powers he had. If he wasn’t going to find his soulmate anytime soon, Cas feared that maybe, he would have to move to the mountains so he wouldn’t be a danger any longer.

At least not for anyone but himself.

~*~*~*~

“Dean, where are you going?”

Wincing, Dean stopped in his tracks. He had really hoped he would be sneaky enough. Had hoped his brother wouldn’t wake. But when had Dean’s luck ever been on his side? 

Exactly, never.

With a sigh, hand still at the door handle, he turned around.

“Go back to sleep, Sammy.”

A light was switched on and Dean sighed again, now fully turning towards his kid brother. As their eyes met, he could first see the surprise, then the anger, and finally… resignation.

“So you’re really leaving?”

“I have to. You know that.”

“Can’t you at least wait for the opening ceremony? The new class of witches… they looked promising?”

“Maybe for you, Sam. But… I haven’t felt any pull towards one of them. At all. And I never have.”

“But maybe at another University–”

“Sam, come on. We’ve been over this,” Dean interrupted, stepping back into the room so he could sit down on his brother’s bed. This was why he had hoped to be able to sneak out without Sammy noticing. He didn’t _need_ to see his puppy eyes or hear his perfectly fine arguments. He knew them all by heart. “You have only one year of rotation behind you. Try doing it for five years, looking towards your sixth. I’m just tired of this.”

“So you’re giving up?”

Dean shrugged his shoulders.

“Guess so? I don’t- I don’t even know, exactly. I just know whatever I need isn’t here.”

“And…” Sam bit his lip, clearly trying not to push him but obviously he had something burning on his soul.

“What is it?”

“What about… if you tried… I mean, maybe one of the… colleges?”

Looking away, Dean rubbed a hand over his face.

“I’ve thought about that as well, yes. But… Sam, not to sound snobby or anything. But you – more than anyone – should know that no witch going to a normal college would be strong enough to have us as their familiar.”

“Yes, I know but what if there was a mistake? A-a mixup of some sort? Or a miscommunication. What if there is a sacred blooded witch out there―”

“Who doesn’t know they have sacred blood? Sammy, come on, think for a minute, would you?” Dean replied, chuckling bitterly. “How would they not know they are the son or daughter of another witch and their familiar, eh? And not only that. You _know_ they would have to come from a long line to be powerful enough to bond with me. Damn, Sammy, who’s the nerd here, huh? Do I have to remind you why sacred-blooded ones stay amongst themselves?”

“No, of course not. But… it’s always a possibility…”

“Yeah. So is the possibility that my soulmate died years ago.”

“Don’t say that,” Sam pleaded with a whine. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

“And why not?” Dean couldn’t help but challenge. “Because it wouldn’t be fair? Well, guess what, little brother,” he added softly, resting a hand against his cheek. “Life’s not always fair. So, I’ll just go.” When he saw the crestfallen expression on Sam’s face, he hugged him for a moment. “Come now. I wouldn’t be the first rogue familiar in the family, remember? You go on. Find your soulmate, maybe even fall in love with them. Uphold the Winchester family name. I’m counting on you.”

“You’re a dick.”

Chuckling darkly, he pressed his brother against him one last time, then let go and got up.

“I love you too, Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

Giving him one last tight smile and ruffling his hair, Dean finally turned back towards the door of their dorm. Before he could open it, though, Sam spoke up once more.

His words cut right through his heart.

“You still believe James was your soulmate, don’t you?” 

Frozen, stockstill, Dean’s hand lingered on the doorknob, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

“What if he wasn’t? What if you can’t find your true soulmate because you’re mourning for someone who died a long time ago?”

He didn’t know how to answer that question; didn’t know how to explain to Sam that he had simply… _felt_ it. Simply _known_ it. Sam would lecture him about how they had been kids. How neither James nor Dean had been old enough to feel the pull of a witch and their soulmate familiar.

But Dean and James?

They had both known.

And then James had been killed, alongside his family.

And Dean had never felt another pull that came close in the years since.

“Get back to sleep, Sammy,” Dean said once more. “I’ll make sure to visit you from time to time.”

With that, he opened the door and finally left the room, not giving his brother another chance to hold him back from leaving this godforsaken campus and the legacy that he couldn’t seem to hold up to.


End file.
